Cookstown and Edendork will deservedly have to do it all again this Friday night after they played out an entertaining draw at Healy Park at the weekend.

Cookstown and Edendork will deservedly have to do it all again after they played out an entertaining draw at Healy Park on Friday night.

It took two late Darren McCurry points to rescue the game for the St Malachys after Barry Potter’s goal midway through the half had put Cookstown in the ascendancy.

Edendork looked like they might run away with the game in the opening 15 minutes as they raced into a four point lead but the Fr Rock’s didn’t panic and came storming back.

Edendork finished the game with 14 men after Conor Mallon saw a second yellow, a sending off that may mean he misses the replay, having already been sent off in the championship opener with Moortown.

Darren McCurry was sensational for Edendork putting some wayward shooting against Derrytresk well behind him with eight crucial points, while for Cookstown their veterans, led by Paul McGurk, Conor O’Hare and Brian Mulligan almost made yet another intermediate final.

Cookstown had the better first five minutes, John Gilmore missing a great goal chance almost from the throw-in.

They kicked three further wides as Edendork struggled to get their hands on the ball.

When they did they were clinical kicking four points in six minutes with Conn Kilpatrick opening the scoring.

Darren McCurry added three, one from play and two from frees as Cookstown looked on the ropes.

They responded well however with James McGahan opening the scoring before John Gilmore kicked a neat effort from a tight angle.

Paul Donaghy and a McCurry 45, restored the four point lead before Barry Potter responded with a placed ball of his own to keep Cookstown in touch.

Christopher McCurry kicked a point for his side before Cookstown got right back into the game via the boot of John Gilmore.

The big man received the ball in the square after good work from Marty Hughes, Potter and James McGahan and he made no mistake rifling an unstoppable shot into the net from close range.

He added another point a couple of minutes later before McGahan brought the Cookstown tally for the half to 1-5 with a point.

McCurry brought the sides level at the break, although Eamon McHugh might well have awarded a free out to Cookstown just before he had awarded the St Malachy’s what was a straightforward free.

The first 15 minutes of the second half was fairly turgid stuff with plenty of yellow cards, mostly for Edendork who picked up six yellows and a red in the second half.

It took a 44th minute Harry Og Conlon point to break the deadlock. Moments later Cookstown hit the Edendork net, Matty Hughes getting forward to find Barry Potter who finished past Mark McReynolds.

McCurry and Niall Morgan responded almost immediately to level things once more but Cookstown kicked on Gilmore on target after a quick free from Potter and then Marty Murray put them two points ahead.

Conor Mallon then got his second yellow card in the 54th minute, but it was Darren McCurry who would have the final saw kicking a free in the 60th minute and an equaliser in injury time to bring the sides level and set up a replay.